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Billy Budd, Sailor

Herman Melville

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1. When did Herman
Melville complete Billy Budd?

(A) One year after the events of the novel occur, in 1798

(B) At the height of his career, in 1876

(C) The manuscript was left unfinished at
his death in 1891

(D) Just in time for its first publication, in 1924

2. What is Billy
Budd’s nickname on the Bellipotent?

(A) Billy-Boy

(B) Bubbles

(C) Baby

(D) Buddy

3. What is Billy’s
nationality?

(A) American

(B) English

(C) Irish

(D) Kiwi

4. Why is Billy’s
past mysterious?

(A) He was left in a basket on a doorstep
as an infant

(B) He was separated at birth from his identical twin

(C) He spontaneously generated a third eye at the age of
six

(D) He ran away from home as a young boy

5. What is Billy
Budd’s disability?

(A) Attention Deficit Disorder

(B) Hemophilia

(C) Stuttering

(D) Dysentery

6. To what stereotype
does Billy conform?

(A) Handsome Sailor

(B) Mama’s Boy

(C) Hunk of Burning Love

(D) Renaissance Man

7. On which ship
does Billy work at the opening of the novel?

(A) The Bellipotent

(B) The Indomitable

(C) The Rights-of-Man

(D) The Declaration-of-Independence

8. What is Billy’s
position on the H.M.S. Bellipotent?

(A) First Mate

(B) Key Grip

(C) Coxswain

(D) Foretopman

9. What is the name
of the old sailor whom Billy consults from time to time?

(A) The Danzig

(B) The Danskin

(C) The Dansker

(D) The Dunster

10. What is Claggart’s
position on the Bellipotent?

(A) Fo’c’sleman

(B) Lieutenant

(C) Man-E-Faces

(D) Master-at-arms

11. By what nickname
do the crew of the Bellipotent refer to Claggart?

(A) Chukka Chukka

(B) Jemmy Legs

(C) Spermaceti

(D) Bunco Boy

12. What does Billy
spill in front of Claggart?

(A) His soup

(B) Some milk

(C) The beans

(D) A pan of oatmeal

13. For what does
the mysterious afterguardsman try to recruit Billy?

(A) A refrigerator raid

(B) A midnight game of dice

(C) A conspiracy to commit mutiny

(D) A drug ring

14. What crime does
Claggart accuse Billy of committing?

(A) Perjury

(B) Dereliction

(C) Desertion

(D) Conspiracy

15. How does Billy
respond to Claggart’s accusation?

(A) By punching Claggart in the head

(B) By denying everything

(C) By committing suicide

(D) By stabbing Claggart in the heart

16. What does Claggart
do a few moments after accusing Billy to his face?

(A) Takes back his accusation

(B) Abandons ship

(C) Challenges Billy to a duel

(D) Lies dead on the cabin floor

17. What is Captain
Vere’s nickname?

(A) The Nutty Professor

(B) Perse Vere

(C) Starry Vere

(D) The Chronic

18. How does Captain
Vere decide to respond to the killing of Claggart?